You can read Michelle Malkin’s dueling counter analysis here: http://michellemalkin.com/2012/05/22/palin-officially-endorses-desperate-clingy-orrin-hatch-time-to-rally-around-dan-liljenquist/. There’s quite a bit of venom in her writing, but a lot of it strikes us as complaining about the brutal art of politics, and if there is one guy who can punch with the best we’d say it was Hatch. Of course Hatch is going to try and stop a serious contender, even using tactics that are below the belt. How many times did Gingrich resort to tough tactics over Bain Capital? How many times will we see opportunism and shading in the coming Presidential election from the right? Likely much less and much less blatant than from the Forward Campaign, but it will be there nonetheless.

That being said there is no question that the Jeffersonian approach to public service is the best where citizens arise from the ranks and then return after a period of time. It would have been better for Sen. Hatch to simply announce he has completed his public service.